Determination of Steviol Glycosides in Consumer Sweeteners

Dionex announced a new method for determination of steviol glycosides in consumer sweeteners, which is precise, accurate, and more efficient compared to existing methods (USP and JECFA monographs). Application Note 241:

Determination of Steviol Glycosides by HPLC with UV and ELS Detections describes a method that uses the Acclaim® Mixed-Mode WAX-1 column to separate multiple steviol glycosides of interest.

Steviol glycosides, such as stevioside and rebaudioside A, are of interest as commercial sweeteners in foods and beverages. The U.S FDA recently approved the use of rebaudioside A for use as a sugar substitute in foods.

The method described in Application Note 241 uses the HILIC mode of the Acclaim mixed-mode column, thereby allowing separation of multiple steviol glycosides. The volatile mobile phase makes ELS detection feasible, adding flexibility for the detection of glycosides that do not have strong UV extinction coefficients. Reduced solvent use is also demonstrated, thereby eliminating waste and saving time and resources.